At the east end, Waverly Lake was still relatively clear of algae and weeds on July 15, 2023.
As you have either noticed or guessed, the paddle boats that used to be available for rent on Waverly Lake in summers past are not out there now.
The reason, of course, is the condition of the lake, much of which is covered with a layer of algae or other watery growth.
Albany Parks and Recreation Director Kim Lyddane confirmed this week that her department’s paddle boat flotilla is not being launched this year while the city is waiting for a contractor to clean the lake of algae.
“With the lake conditions, we are sadly not able to provide a safe and enjoyable paddle boat experience this summer,” Lyddane told me by email on Wednesday. “We made the call earlier this month when we got the news about the work getting pushed to August.”
As reported earlier, the city’s contractor, Aquatic Harvesting LLC, of Centralia, Wash., has been swamped by cleanup jobs and could not get to Albany in July as the city had hoped.
I wondered if there’s now an actual date for the Waverly job.
“The contractor has said mid-late August, but we do not have an exact date currently,” Lyddane said. “It will all depend on how fast the lakes/ponds the team is servicing all up and down the West Coast are completed. With the work that the contractor provides (harvesting, installing the aeration system and fountain) we will continue to see improvement for summers to come.”
Waverly Lake was created by the excavation of dirt for the construction of the Pacific Boulevard overpass, completed in 1939. Some 50Â years ago, the lake was still deep and clear enough to be suitable for scuba diving lessons, according to a commenter on this site.
Chances are those conditions will never return unless the lake is dredged, which the city should consider. But we can hope that next year at least the paddle boats will be back. (hh)
I would suggest the city take a couple of fire hydrants, flood the lake and force the algae out. I closed the culvert on the outlet to the lake on our property, which is similar in size to Waverly Lake, and it cleaned it up but my homemade cover for the culvert wasn’t to water proof and I gave up the battle but it is easily dooable.
Why not put them out on Timberlinn?
Enlist Paddle boat users to clean up/harvest this mess. Give X? amount of credit hour(s) per 100? lbs. of weed. Reward could increase as the lake cleans up since weed gets more elusive.
They could hold 4? hour “weed derbies” 2-3X week where the city would have an employee there to issue/register paddle boats and weigh weed. Entrants supply their own harvesting containers & tools. No blades longer than 5? feet.
Once the lake is cleaned up, the can use their credited time.
Sounds like fun….. until someone falls in and drowns.
It sounds like work and drowning can happen without weeds.
It would help a LOT if they just added a couple aerators on either end of the lake.